Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Comments
I haven't played DA3 but this lends to my point. A bard should have a certain rhythm while playing, a rhythm that rises and falls, speeds and slows as appropriate to the application. I am in the support camp. A bard should be a support cornerstone, with augmentation toward dps, tank, healing if desired and chosen through their second class, dirty, and abilities. Though not so much as to outshine those dedicated to the role. Fluid in their ability to adapt, a jack of all trades though master of none.
Not sure if this was directed at me but, that is far from my intent. Most on vanilla EQ hated a duel with a well played bard because they had so many tricks up their sleeve. Most tricks got nerfed so hard people stopped playing them.
A bard in vanilla EQ might not kill you quickly, but they were absolutely capable of it. And would make you miserable while they did
Wasn't aimed at anyone, just a general observation here and on Reddit
I tried bard in another game, think it might have been Rift(?), i remember that one to be pretty fun to play atleast, and i could kill stuff.
Yes! I never played EQ but I like the sound of that. Bard should be an easy class to learn but difficult to master, and a well played bard would stand out. A healthy mix offense, crowd control, and support at the right time could be enough to turn the tides of battle. This is how I would like to play bard.
And then out of combat I would like to see a function similar to SWG entertainers, so that you can enjoy a rich social aspect amidst the throes of war. In that game you only had the social aspect as an entertainer, what if there was a way for someone to level a bard almost entirely through social related content? It might draw a type of player that might not otherwise be interested in the game.
This style of gameplay is first and foremost thematic to the archetype, but it's also extremely rewarding to play when used skillfully. A veteran Bard might opt for a more complex playstyle that rewards technical precision and forethought with the ability to layer multiple potent effects onto their party, while novice players could potentially see much simpler patterns allowing them to pick up the class easily, without necessarily "solving" it right away.
When I think of Bards and what they represent, the word that comes to mind is 'dynamic'. It's all about feeling the tempo and playing your tune, and there is a huge opportunity for this to be reflected in their gameplay, rather than letting them fall into the rotation trap that plagues many class implementations across the MMORPG genre.
With Ashes' hybrid action gameplay system, I think this would be a particularly good fit.
Another thing worth mentioning is that traditionally, class favour in MMO's tends to skew towards DPS classes, and while many do find support and healing classes exciting and rewarding to play in group content, they are often viewed as stressful or simply unrewarding by people who don't typically gravitate towards those classes. Offering a different style of play that's both rewarding and unique, while falling outside of the typical 'healbot' envelope could open up an avenue for more players to try out a part of the trinity that they previously wouldn't have considered.
Either way, I can't wait to get my hands on the Bard, and I hope that the rest of you are as passionate about Intrepid bringing the archetype to life as I am.